Punch mechanism for labeling machines



Oct. 29, 1968 K. R. SCHNEIDER PUNCH MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES 5 SheetS-Shee l Filed April 28, 1965 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 29, 1968 K. R. SCHNEIDER 3,408,246

PUNCH MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed'April 28, 1965 5 Sheets-Shaml 2 INVENTOR Oct. 29, 1968 K. R. SCHNEIDER PUNCH MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 28, 1965 Oct. 29, 1968 K. R. SCHNEIDER PUNCH MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES Filed April 28, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY f f \S Q x, \I x Oct. 29, 1968 K. R. SCHNEIDER PUNCH MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHINES '5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 28, 1965 INVENTOR /vaT/ec//A/f/of/e ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,408,246 PUNCH MECHANISM FOR LABELING MACHNES Kurt Rudolf Schneider, 4 Juliand St., Bainbridge, N.Y. 13733 Filed Apr. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 451,469 17 Claims. (Cl. 156-521) This invention relates to improvements in a punch mechanism for labeling machines of the type exemplified in my prior Patents Nos. 2,754,022, 2,907,567 and 3,010,- 864 and my pending application Ser, No. 80,778, filed Jan.5, 1961, now Patent No. 3,252,849.

In machines of this type, the punch mechanism, in addition to serving in the first instance as a means for severing labels (or label areas) one at a time from a so-called label sheet consisting of a plurality of such labels arranged in adjacent vertical rows and which is advanced with a step-by-step motion to thepunch mechanimsm, also serves as the label applying instrumentality of the machine. That is to say, the lreciprocating punch unit of said mechanism, after severing the individual labels from the labely sheet, then proceeds to press same on to moistened areas of each of a succession of the articles to be labeled, i.e. envelopes, postcards and similar mailing pieces, which are fed to and past 'said punch unit in a substantially continuously advancing stream.

Because of these diverse requirements which the punch mechanism must satisfy, its design becomes highly irnportant not only to the surcessful operation of the label applying machine of which it forms a component, but also to the economics involved in its fabrication and maintenance. By the latter is meant not only the initial cost of fabricating the punch mechanism in limited quantity, which is important because label applying machines of the character under consideration are not ordinarily produced on a production-line basis, but also the cost of maintenance thereof, which desirably should be minimal per se and in terms of machine-out time. While the punch mechanisms of the earlier designs exemplified, for example, in my aforesaid prior Patent No. 2,754,022, and more particularly of my later tiled aforesaid application Ser. No. 80,778, performed in generallysatisfactory manner, continuing experience with labeling machines utilizing the punch mechanisms of such earlier designs indicated the desirability if not the need of a re-design thereof which recognized the necessity of lower initial fabrication and assembly costs, of lower maintenance cost and of troublefree operation as would reduce shut-down time of the machine to a minimum.

Stated broadly, a major object of the present invention is the provision of an improved design of a punch mechanism for label 'applying machines as aforesaid which greatly reduces the fabrication and maintenance costs thereof as compared to punch mechanism disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,754,022, for example.

Another important object of the invention is to further improve and simplify the design and construction and to improve upon the operation of thel punch mechanism for label applying machines of the general type and design disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid application Ser. No. 80,778.

A more specific object of the present invention is the provision of a punch mechanism for label applying machines, which takes into laccount and compensates for the `different rates and/ or coefficients of expansion and contraction between the metals of the punch unit and/or cutting dies thereof (usually steel) and of the punch housing (usually aluminum) with variations in thel ambient temperatures of the different localities in which said label applying'machines may be called uponto operate.

Another detailed object of the present invention is the 3,408,246 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 provision of a punch mechanism of the stated character and purpose incorporating means which aids in preventing slippage or cooking of the label sheet in sidewise direction due to the temporary holding action of the punch unit thereon as said unit performs its intended function'of cutting off an individual label.

Still another specitic object of the invention is the provision of a punch mechanism as aforesaid which incorporates simplified, improved and more ea'sily serviced punch-drive means, as compared to that according, to my aforesaid application Ser. No. 80,788. i l

The above and other objects and advantages of Vthe improved punch mechanism for a label applying machine `according to the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are generalized top plan and side elevational views of a label applying machine of the type 'for which the improved and simpiiiied punch mechanismof the present invention was designed;

FIG. 3 is a partly broken-away, longitudinal section taken through FIG. l on a vertical plane disposed just 'to the viewers side of the punch mechanism of the invention, and with parts of said mechanism shown in section and other parts removed;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged broken-away front elevation of the punch mechanism which illustrates the timing-belt drive means for the reciprocating punch unit or ram of the punch mechanism, and the physical relationship of said punch mechanism to the conveyor-belt stage means which advances the mailing pieces to be labeled to and past said punch unit, the view also generally illustrating parts of the wetting or moistening means serving to wet the areas of said mailing pieces to which the individual labels severed from the label sheet by said punch mechanism are to be pressed by the punch unit thereof;

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken generally along line S-S of FIG. 6 5

FIGS. 6 and 7 are transverse lsections taken along line 6 1 and 7-7 of FIG. 4; and y FIG. 8 is a separated view illustrating major elements of the punch mechanism including the drive assembly for transmitting drive from a driven sprocket pulley to the reciprocating punch unit or ram, and the manner of mounting said drive assembly in the punch-housing front cover according to the invention.

In said drawings, FIGS. l and 2 illustrate'a label applying machine generally according to my aforesaid Patents Nos. 2,750,022, 2,907,567 and 3,010,864 and later tiled application Ser. No. 80,778, but which additionally incorporates the improved punch mechanism and related features to which the present application is more particularly addressed. Using in so far as possible the same reierence characters and/or numerals as were used in the specification of said patents and application in describing such a machine, reference character BH designates a base housing having a top plate TP, over which a label sheet L, illustratively of a type consisting of a plurality of individual labels or label areas arranged in vertical rows, is adapted to be fed step-by-step in relative crosswise direction to a punch mechanism PM, the label sheet being shown as feeding beneath a label-sheet pressure plate SHQ mounting a sensing switch mechanism LSS thereon. Said base housing BH at its article feed-in end mounts an article-receiving table TR having upstanding side-guide plates GP between which a stack E of articles to be labeled, usually mailing pieces such as envelopes, postcards and the like, may be placed, said table also mounting a forward upright guide plate GF against which the forward edges of the mailing pieces of the stack drawn by feed-in means for subsequent advancement to the punch mechanism PM.

Referring to FIG. 3, such generally illustrates that the preferred feed-in means corresponds to that according to my aforesaid Patent No. 2,907,567, and that such delivers the individual mailing pieceswithdrawn from the stack E to mailing-piece feed-through means according to the improved design thereof disclosed and claimed in my application Ser. No. 451,563, now Patent No. 3,305,056, led concurrently herewith, which latter advances the individual mailing pieces in longitudinal directionto and through the punch mechanism PMand finally discharges the labeled pieces from the machine. More particularly, the aforesaid mailing-piece feed-in means comprises an endless belt 25h whose upper flight operates in an elongated front-to-rear opening therefor provided in the receiving table TRintermediate the sideguide plates GP, and which is trained over a forwardly disposed, powered roller 25f, a rearward wobble pulley 251, and an intermediate idler pulley 25]'. Disposed forwardly of said belt 2511 is a set of primary article feed rollers EPR fast on a hollow cross shaft 25a within which operates a continuously driven cross shaft 25 which drives said hollow shaft via an overrunning clutch-type driving connection (not shown) therewith. The shaft 25 also drives a timing belt "FB2 which in turn, via a shaft not shown, transmits drive from said shaft 25 to the conveyor belt stage S, comprising the major component 0f the mailing-piece feed-through means of my aforesaid concurrently filed application Ser. No. 451,563, now Patent No. 3,305,056, and to which the primary feed rollers EFR advance the mailing pieces as they are individually Withdrawn from the stack E thereof by said feed-in means.

By reference to my said application, and as generally shown herein in FIG. 4, the conveyor-belt stage S is characterized by twin, laterally spaced-apart, endless timing belts 120 (122) trained over corresponding rearwardly 'disposed sprocket pulleys 116 (118) which are powered via the aforesaid timing belt T B2 and forwardly disposed idler sprocket pulleys 124 (126), the shafts mounting said pulleys being carried by a frame including laterally spaced-apart, longitudinally extending sideframe members 100 (102) and being supported inV elevated position by vertically arranged springs 166 (168) disposed on upright frame-mounting studs 170 (172). Said springs urge the smooth outer surfaces of the upper flights of the twin timing belts 120 (122) against the under surface of the machine top plate TP or parts carried thereby, and in addition provide a oating mounting for the frame which enables the latter to pitch and roll as a unit about transverse and longitudinal axes extending therethrough. Accordingly, the stage S as a whole may accommodate itself to plural mailing pieces having different thicknesses being advanced to and through the punch mechanism at any one time and/oi to a thick mailing piece being advanced along a line closer to one side-edge of the stage than to the other.

The twin timing belts 120 122) also drive the framemounted pairs of sprocket pulleys 14411 (144b) and 146o (146b), which latter in turn drive two longitudinally spaced-apart rubber-faced rollers (not shown) mounted in the space between the side-frame members 100 (102) and which turn on axes which are so disposed that the plane containing the upper lines of the timing belts 120 (122) also contains tangents to the upper peripheries of said rollers.

As will hereinafter appear, the lateral spacing of the twin timing belts 120 (122) is related t0 that of the rollers carried by the frame-like base of the housing of the punch mechanism PM, and said pair of rubber-faced rollers (not shown) carried intermediate the side frame members are positioned so as to be impacted by the rollers which operate through the bottom face of the 4 punch unit or-ram of said punch mechanism, 'when said ram is at the lowermost limit of its working stroke.

In addition to said conveyor belt stage S, the mailingpiece feed-through means includes so-called run-out means functioning to discharge the labeled mailing Ypieces received fromthe discharge e'nd` of said.4 stage from the machine.'FIG. 3 shows said run-out means as comprising two rubber-coated rollers 2 00, 202 disposed forwardly of said stageS and being mounted for turning movement about the axes of their longitudinally spaced-apart, transversely extending, carrying shafts 204, 206 and for rocking motion in unison about the transverse axes of laterally spaced-apart trunni-ons 204a (206a) disposed intermediate said roller axes. Said rollers 200, 202 are powered as by an O-belt 212 driven via the aforesaid tiniing belt TBZ. i

FIG. 3 also shows sets of cage-mounted anti-friction rollers 216, 214 set into downwardly opening recesses in the machine top plate TP disposed above the discharge end of the stage S and above the rearward run-out roller 200, respectively. AS explained in my above-referred-to concurrently filed application Ser. No. 451,563, now Patent No. 3,305,056, directed to the mailing-piece feedthrough means, said anti-friction rollers serve to minimize friction between the labeled mailing pieces andthev under surfaces of said top plate which might otherwise occur should the discharge end of the stage S and/or the run-out roller 200 be urged upwardly with excessive force.

Coming now to a more detailed description of the punch mechanism PM of the improved design forming the subject-matter of the present application, such by reference to FIGS. 5-8 comprises a punch housing in the form of an upright, open-front, open-top and open-bottom housing body 250 of shallow U-section, a housing front cover 252 extending fully across and closing the front side of said housing body, and a housing top 254 of width and depth as to extend fully across both said housing body and the housing cover when the latter is assembled thereto and closing said open top of the housing body. Said housing body is preferably formed with an integral attaching bracket 250a extending from its rear wall, by which the entire housing assembly may be lixedly secured in upright position to themachine top plate TP.

Vertically disposed, inwardly projecting, oilite gibs are set into upright seating grooves provided therefor in each of the inside walls of the housing body and in the housing cover, there being a pair of such gibs 25611, 25617 on the inner face of the housing rear `wall, a corresponding pair of gibs 258m 25817 on the inner face of the housing cover 252, and apair of oppositely disposed gibs 26011, 26011, one for each wall, on the inner faces of the housing-body side wall. Thus, the housing body and front cover provide a closed-sided, rectangular receptacle having vertical bearings on all inner faces, inwhich a punch unit or ram to be described may reciprocate.

Rigidly secured to the bottom edge of the housing body proper is a rectangular frame-like base 264 having substantially the same inner and outer dimensionsV as the aforesaid punch housing and its front cover and through which the punch unit is adapted to be projected during the course of its reciprocation. However, to permitlabel-sheet Y feed movement into and/or. through the housing as is necessary to bring the topmostlabel of the righthand row thereof to a position beneath the punch unit for severance thereby and also to provide that the portion of the label sheet containing the row of labels tothe left of the right hand row thereof may move freely in front-to-rear direction through the housing until all labels of said righthand row have been used up, both the housingfront coveri252 and the lefthand side wall of thehousing body terminate well above said frame-like base 264, thus to provide ,an L-shaped (in plan) bottom slot between the closed housing and the frame-like base which extends completely across the front and left sides thereof. i Y

In addition to providing for label-sheet movement as aforesaid, said slot is sufficiently deep as to accommodate a front die 266 ailixed ilush to the upper face of the front part of said frame-like base 264 and a connecting side die 268 similarly aiiixed ush to the upper face of the lef-side part of said base 264. Said front and side dies are of hardcned tool steel and their inside upper corner edges are sharpened and angularly relieved so that they form cutting edges with which the cutting edges of the punch unit to be described coact during the course of lowering movement of said punch unit through the base.

Preferably, the two long sides ofthe aforesaid framelike base 264 are each apertured for the reception of a pair of longitudinally spaced-apart roller 27th:, 276!) turning on pins whose axes are disposed transversely of the direction of mailing-piece advancement. The rollers of said pairs are spaced apart transversely of one another a distance such that they are vertically aligned with the aforesaid twin timing belts 120 (122) of the conveyor belt stage S which advances the mailing pieces, and their turning axes are so located vertically that said rollers will roll on and press ,lightly against said twin belts when no mailing piece intervenes. It is explained here that the punch unit to be described also mounts a longitudinally spaced single pair of rollers designated 272a, 27217 which are mounted in downwardly opening pockets provided in the under face of said unit and turn on axes extending crosswise thereof and which are so located elevationally that peripheral portions of said rollers project a small distance downwardly through said under face of the punch unit. As previously mentioned, said punch carried rollers 272g, 272b are vertically aligned with the aforementioned pair of rollers (not shown) of the conveyor belt stage S which are disposed intermediate the twin conveyor belts l2!) (122) thereof.

By reference to FIGS. 7 and 8 in particulanthe aforesaid punch unit (hereinafter designated 280) has modied open-back and open-top box section of overall width and depth such that it has slide lit within the rectangularly sectional enclosure or receptacle defined by the aforesaid punch-housing body 258 and its front cover 252. As best seen in FIG. 5, the heightof the punch unit 280 is less than that of the housing body by an amount which is at least equal to one-half the length of its stroke.

Although said punch unit 280, which is fashioned as is conventional from hardened tool steel, may be of onepiece construction, it is preferably made in two pieces, i.e. a body portion defined by a plane vertical front wall 282 and vertical side walls 284a and 2841;, and an insert plate 286 secured in and tilling a set-back provided in the thickened lower end of said body portion and which extends along its rear-face lower edge and between said side walls 284e, 284b. Such two-part construction of the punch unit makes it a very simple lmatter to mount the aforesaid rollers 272:1, 272b for rotation in the underface pockets of the punch unit.

Also referring to FIG. 5, the front vertical wall of the punch unit 289 is provided with a deep cut-out 288 opening through the top edge thereof and which is defined 1bottom-wise yby a semi-circular edge, and it is further provided in its rear face with a recess 290 which is generally defined laterally lby side edge Walls which extend downwardly from said cut-out and converge towards one another. As-will hereinafter be seen, said cut-out 288 and rear-face recess 290 are provided for the accommodation of the eccentric and crank arm components, respectively, of the drive assembly which transmits drive to the punch unit.

The lower edge of the vertical front wall 282 of the punch unit defines a cutting edge 282a (FIG. 5) which is inclined to the horizontal as shown `by a small angle of about 2 so that, in cooperation with the sharpened inside cutting edge of the. front cutting die 266, said edge 282a cuts with a scissoring action. The lower edge of the vertical side wall 284b of said punch unit also defines a cutting edge which cooperates with the sharpened inner side cutting edge of the aforesaid side die 286. However, rather than the cutting edge defined 'by the side wall edge of the punch unit being inclined, the upper face of the side die 268 is inclined as indicated at 268a (FIG. 8) and thus its inner `side edge is similarly inclined thereby t0 define an inclined cutting edge with which the straight side cutting edge of the punch unit cooperates.

Also to 'be noted is that the vertical front wall 282 of the punch unit is slotted upwardly from said cutting edge as at 292:1, 292b for the accommodation of the ends of the shuttle `bars (not shown) which 'by their reciprocatory movement advance the label sheet S to and through the punch mechanism, in which movement said bars `are guided in horizontal grooves 266a, 266b formed in the aforesaid front die 266 and with which said vertical slots are vertically aligned. Said front die 266 is also provided in its middle length portion with a groove 266e (FIGS. 4 and 8) for the accommodation of the linger of the aforesaid label sensing switch LSS carried 'by the label pressure plate SHQ whose forward end extends a short distance into the ybottom slot between the front cover 2,52 of the punch housing and the upper surface of said front die. For further detailed description of these latter features reference may lbe had to my aforesaid lapplication Ser. No. 80,778 and to my concurrently filed application directed to an improved pressure plate assembly.

Referring to FIG. 4, the punch mechanism is adapted to be secured as an integrated operating unit within an opening TO provided in said machine top plate TP which is so located as to position the punch unit directly above the conveyor 'belt stage means S which advances the mailing pieces to be labeled to the punch mechanism. Since except for minor design changes the punch mechanism so far described and its positioning as a-bove are generally the same as that disclosed and claimed in my application Ser. No. 80,778, reference maybe had thereto for further details.

Coming now to important new punch-design features of the present invention, the first thereof takes into account the fact that label-applying machines according to my aforesaid patents and application `are sometimes required to operate at temperatures as low at 32 F. and as high as high as 100 F., which means that the steel punch unit 280 should have the same slide-tit clearance in its aluminum housing 258 under machine operating temperatures which vary widely, and this despite the known fact that steel and aluminum expand and contract unequally with change in temperature. In my prior designs of punch mechanism, problems stemming from different expansion and contraction of the steel and aluminum components thereof necessitated re-working of the punch units thereof according to the temperature conditions in which each was called upon to operate.

The present invention provides a practical solution of z this problem in the form of means incorporated into the punch mechanism for automatically compensating for any looseness of fit or freezing up of the punch unit with respect to its housing developing or likely to develop due to a particular operating temperature. More particularly and referring first to FIG. 5, it will be seen that the left side wall of the housing body 250 mounts a vertically spaced pair of horizontally disposed, cylindrical nylon ybuttons 300, 302 in vertically aligned holes therefor drilled completely through said side wall and the oilite gibs 2601; set into the latter as earlier described. The nylon buttons have somewhat greater length than the total thickness of the housing wall and gib through which they extend and they are biased in inward direction 'by spring means illustratively comprising a vertically disposed, double-arm leaf spring 3tl4 secured as -by a screw 306 Iagainst the outer face of said housing side wall in position such that its ends press against the normally projecting outer ends of said buttons. Accordingly, the inner ends of said 'buttons bear with spring pressure against the side wall of the punch unit engaged thereby and tend to 7 force the punch unit 280 Ibodily against the opposite gib 260a carried by the right side wall of the housing body.

The degree of force exerted by the nylon `buttons 300,

-302 on the punch unit will depend on the amount that said buttons project outwardly from the housing, the inward force capable of being applied by the arms of the spring and/ or the degree to which the screw 306 securing the spring to the housing body is tightened, 'but Iby design it will always be such as to compensate for any contraction of the steel punch unit 286 in lateral direction with respect to the aluminum punch housing 25), 252 or any crosswise expansion of said punch housing with respect to the punch unit likely to occur under the varying temperatures in which a labeling machine may be called upon to operate.

Preferably also, the housing cover 252 mounts means for compensating for any unequal expansion or contraction of the punch unit with respect to the housing, or vice versa, in front-to-rear direction. More particularly, and referring to FG. 7, the cover near its bottom edge is apertured for the reception of a horizontally spaced pair of nylon buttons 368, 319 corresponding to the aforesaid side wall buttons 360, 392. The axial length of said buttons 308, 310 is somewhat greater than the thickness of said housing cover, whereby with the inner 'ends of the pin bearing on the vertical, plane front face of the punch unit, the outer ends of said buttons project a small distance outwardly from said cover. A double-arm leaftype spring 312 is secured to the outer face of the housing cover by means of a screw 314 which tightens said spring so that the outer ends of its spring arms bear on the projecting ends of said nylon buttons 308, 310 with substantial force. Accordingly, said buttons press against the front vertical face of the punch unit and thereby urge said punch unit bodily against the rear-wall gibs 256e, 2561; with a force which by design is suicient to compensate for any loose fit developing between the punch unit and housing consequent to the steel of the punch unit and/or the aluminum of the housing contracting and/ or expanding at different rates.

Another feature of improvement provided by the instant punch design is that represented by the floating ball bearing 316 which is adapted to roll on the row of labels of the label sheet L disposed just to the left of the rightmost row being acted upon by the punch unit. More particularly, the left side Wall of the punch housing is cored out or otherwise formed with a downwardlysidewardly opening pocket 31S (FEGS. 5, 7 and 8) dimensioned to receive said ball bearing 316 mounted in position such that it will track on any portion of a label sheet S moving rearwardly on the side die 268. However, rather than said ball bearing 316 being of the conventional type, it is so constructed that its outer race floats with respect to the fixed axis of its inner race. Accordingly, the floating outer race will always rest of its own weight on that portion of the label sheet moving beneath same, which by design is the label-sheet portion containing the labels of the vertical row just to the left of the righthand row being acted upon by the punch unit. This simple expedient has been found to be highly effective in preventing shifting or cooking of the label sheet in sidewise direction upon the same being struck by the punch unit and thus it overcomes the possibility of the punch unit making an uneven cut on its next following and subsequent label-cutting strokes.

Still another feature of improvement provided by the instantpunch design is best shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8, which illustrate an improved drive assembly for transmitting drive from an intermittently powered cross-drive means to the punch unit 280. In connection with said cross-drive means, it is explained that the base housing BH mounts within the interior an electric motor (not shown) for driving through a main drive shaft AC (FIG. 2) all of the instrumentalites of the machine -required to be driven either continuously (the aforesaid mailing piece feed-in and feed-through means) or intermittently (the label-sheet advancing means and the punch mechanism and associated mailing-piece wetting means which latter is to be described); Referring also to FIG. 1, the continuously driven shaft AC drives through an intermittently energized clutch mechanism 50, 56 including a gear 60 (preferably of the type disclosed and claimed in my concurrently filed application Ser. No. 451,563, Patent No. 3,305,056, entitled Power Drives for Label Applying Machines), the aforesaid cross-drive means, which latter comprises a gear 64 driven by said gear 60 and which is' fast on one end of a cross shaft 66. The other end of said cross shaft which extends substantially to the punch mechanism mounts a sprocket pulley 68 whichV drives an endless timing belt 70 in-tnrn driving a sprocket pulley 340 Whichis a component of the aforesaid improved drive assembly now to be described.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8 in particular, said drive assembly comprises a bearing housing 320 in the form of a short-length tubular body, both ends of whose bore are counterbored for the reception of anti-friction ball bearings 324, 326 and integral therewith an elongated partial cover plate 328, both being adapted to t into a combination forward-face recess 252a and an upwardly opening cut-out 25217 provided in the aforesaid housing cover 252, in manner as to dispose the relatively inner end of the tubular body within the cut-out and the other end externally of the said housing cover. Journaled in said ball bearings 324, 326 is the inner-end shaft portion 330 of a drive crank also-including a full-circular eccentric 332 mounting an axially projecting, eccentricallyl disposed crank pin 334. As shown in FIG. 6, said eccentric is of a diameter as to be accommodated within the aforesaid cut-out 288 in the front vertical wall of the punch unit 280, and when it is so positioned, its crank pin 334 extends into the interior space provided inthe upper end of said punch unit. A crank arm 336 pivotally connected to and extending between said crank pin and a pivot pin 338 (FIG. 5) mounted near the bottom of the punch unit provides a drive link connection between the crank shaft 330 and said unit, it being observed that the aforementioned recess 290 in the rear face of the punch unit accommodates for the swing motion of said crank arm.

The outer-end shaft portion of the drive crank mounts tne aforesaid sprocket pulley 340 which is driven by the timing belt 7 G as aforesaid. A timing-belt tightening pulley 342 may be included in the assembly if desired, for example by mounting same to idle on a stub shaft carried by an angularly shiftable arm 343 (FIG. 4) carried by either the bearing housing 320 or the partial cover plate 328 integral therewith. The partial cover plate may also mount near its lower end to the double-arm leaf spring 312 which presses on the aforesaid nylon buttons 30S, 310. Finally, it is to be noted that the partial cover plate 328 is adapted to be secured within recess 252a of the main housing 252 in a desired position of vertical adjustment, as by screws (not shown) which pass through vertically elongated holes 344 provided therefor in the :lower end'of said partial cover plate.

The above described arrangement provides that when the clutch mechanism 50, 56 is-engaged, drive is transmitted via lgears 60, 64, cross shaft 66 and timing belt-70 to the driven sprocket pulley 340 and thereupon translated by the drive assembly into reciprocating motion of the punch unit 280. As explained in myaforesaid concurrently liled application Ser. No. 451,563, Patent No. 3,305,056, entitled Power Drives for Label Applying Machines, said'clutch mechanism` is provided with:power stop means designed to stop rotation of the driven clutch head assembly at a predetermined fixed angular position following each cycle of its engagement. By proper timing, the clutch may be set to disengage when the punchrunit 280 is in its uppermost position of retraction following its every working stroke, which is a feature of advantage in that the punch unit when at the end of each cycle of its motion is always in position to begin its down or working stroke upon initiation of its next cycle of operation. Moreover, it will be noted that, although the length of stroke of the punch unit is always the same, the `bodily vertical adjustment permitted thel drive assembly'through th'e'manner of its securement to the punch-housingfront cover 252, i.e`. by screws operating in the elongated holes 344 in the partial cover plate`328, enables limited variation in the uppermost and'rlowermost positions to which the punch unit may'move within its housing 250, 252 and 254 tobe achieved.

FIGS. 3-6 further depict the preferred positional and driving relationships existing between the aforesaid punch mechanism andthe mailing-piece wetting means in part made possible by the present invention. Illustratively, saidv wetting means comprises a conventional transparent-wall liquid reservoir WR mounted on the far side of the machine as the latter is viewed in FIG. 3, and which is provided with electrical means EVM for operating a needle valve 'NV serving to dispense liquid in metered quantities, depending on the length of the electrical impulses and the size of the valve orifice, to a hose WH and thence to a downwardly opening nozzle WN secured as by a holding clip to the mailing-piece feed-in -side of the punch housing 250454 and directly above a wetting brushassembly WB. As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 6, said assembly is mounted on the laterally extended free end of a rocker arm 350 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends tothe aforesaid partial cover plate 328 as by a pivot pin 352 afiixed to said plate on its vertical center line. The other or operating end of said arm'extends well past said center line and thence inclines upwardly along one side of the punch-unit drive assembly, and its upper terminus mounts a roller-type follower 354 and is biased in clockwise direction by a coil spring 356 extending between said upper end and a fixed point on the wetting-assembly side of thev punch housing. Referring to FIG. 6, the follower 354 is disposed in the path of rotation of an arcuate cam rise 358 which projects axiallyv from the relatively inner face of a cam disc 360 mounted on the crank shaft 330 concentric with the aforesaid sprocket pulley 340 and being secured in a desired angular position2 to the inner face of said pulley as by a pin 362 seating in a selected one of a plurality of arcuately arranged holes 364 in said cam disc. i

The aforesaid wetting brush assembly includes a brush mount 366 (FIG. 5) having upper and lower spring clips 368a, V368b secured thereto, which latter are adapted to detachably receive a pull-out type-brush holder 370 for a wetting brush 372 which is wetted by liquid dropping thereto from .the aforesaid nozzle WN. The brush may,

readily be detached from the brush mount 366 for priming or exchanging of said brush as needed.

vThe aforesaid arrangement of the cam disc 360 and rocker arm 350, by proper setting of the angular position of the cam; rise 358, provides for depression of the wetting brush into brief contact with an area of an oncoming mailing piece on the conveyor stage S which is to receive a label, immediately upon the punch unit. 280 completing its cycle of motion duringwhich it severed a label from the label sheet L and applied same to an immediately preceding mailing piece. Such timing provides for-'the just wetted mailing piece being advanced by the twin conveyor` belts 12D, 122 of the conveyor-belt stage means S to a position beneath the punch unit in the interval between the end of said cycle and the beginning of the next following cycle of punch unit motion.

VWithout further analysis,it will be appreciated that theY above described constructionstsatisfy the objective of ther shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In an article labeling machine, a punch mechanism for severing labels one-at-a-time from a label-sheet feeding thereto with a step-by-step motion and thereupon applying the individual labels to articles moving substantially continuously in a path extending at a right angle to the direction of label feed and beneath said punch mechanism, comprising: an upright open-bottom punch housing having a base, the housing and said base cooperating to define an L-shaped aperture extending across the front and along a connecting side of the housing adjacent its bottom edge for the reception and accommodation of the label sheet feeding thereto, die means mounted on said base and having cutting edges extending along and defining the inner edges of said aperture, a punch unit reciprocatable in and through the open bottom of said housing and the base to a lowermost position in which its bottom surface is level with the path of article feed, at least the bottom corner edges of the punch unit which move past said aperture providing cutting edges cooperating with the cutting edges of the die means, means for reciprocating the punch unit, said housing being of a different metal than that of said punch unit, housing base and die means, and means carried by said housing and effective on said punch unit for compensating for any variation in fit of the punch unit in said housing developing due to variations in temperature at which the labeling machine and thereby the punch mechanism may be called upon to operate.

2. A punch mechanism for a label applying machine according to claim 1, wherein said last means comprises force-transmitting means extending through at least one vertical wall of the housing and bearing on a face of the punch unit which moves past said one wall, and means mounted extern-ally of a said housing adapted to apply axially inward force on said force-transmitting means thereby to in turn apply a force on the punch unit which is transverse to the direction of reciprocation thereof.

3. A punch mechanism for a label applying machine according to claim 2, wherein said `force-transmitting means comprises at least one cylindrical button of nylon and said force-applying means comprises a leaf spring affixed externally to said one housing wall and whose free end bears on the outer end of said button.

4. A punch mechanism for a label applying machine according to claim 2, wherein a force-transmitting means as aforesaid extends through each of two angularly re lated walls of the housing and comprises a pair of cylindrical buttons of nylon, and said force-applying means as aforesaid comprises a double-arm leaf spring affixed to each said wall externally thereof and in position such that its free ends bear on the outer ends of the pair of buttons with which it is associated.

5. In an article labeling machine, a punch mechanism for severing labels one-at-a-time from a label-sheet feeding thereto with a step-by-step motion and thereupon applying the individual labels to articles moving substantially continuously in a path extending at a right angle to the direction of label feed and beneath said punch mechanism,' comprising: an upright open-bottom punch housing having a Ibase, the housing and said base cooperating to define an L-shaped aperture extending across the front and along a connecting side of the housing adjacent -its bottom edge for the reception and accommodation of the label sheet feeding thereto, die means mounted on said base and having cutting edges extending along and defining the inner edges of said aperture, a punch unit reciprocatable in and through the open bottom of said housing and the base to a lowermost position in which its bottom surface is level with the path of article feed, at least the bottom corner edges of the punch unit which move past said aperture providing cutting edges cooperating with the cutting edges of the die means, means for reciprocating the punch unit, said side of the housing being. provided in its bottom-edge portion with a sidewardly-downwardly openingrecess, 4and a ball bearingl disposed in said recess, the inner :race of which turns on a fixed axis extending at a right'angle from said housing`- side into the recess, the outer race of said bearing having oating mounting on said inner race and adapted to rest of its own weight on any portion of thelabell'sheet rnoving over the die means portion which extends along the tialiy continuously in a` pathexte'nding at aright angleV to the direction of label feed and `beneath said punch mechanism, comprising: an upright open-bottom punch housinghaving a base, the housing and said base cooperating to define-an L-shaped aperture extending across the front and along a'connecting side of the'housing adjacent its bottom edge for the reception and accommodation of the label sheet feeding thereto, die means mounted.: on said base and having cutting edges' extending Valong and defining the inner edges of said aperture, a punch unit reciprocatable in and through the open bottom of said housing' and the base to a' lowermost position in which its bottom surface is level with the path of article feed, at least the bottomcorner edges of the punch unit which move past said aperture providing cutting edges cooperating with the cutting edges of the die means, means for reciprocating the punch unit, said last means including a drive assembly aixed as a unit to the 'front of the punch housing and including a bearing housing, spaced outer and =inner bearings contained in said housing, a crankshaft journaled in said bearings and carrying at its inner end an 'eccentric and a crank pin, of which said crank pin extends into the punch housing, a crank pivotally connected to said crank pin and punch unit, anda timing-belt drivingly connected to said crankshaft for transmitting drive from cyclically operable driving means to said crankshaft and thence to said punch unit.

7. A punch mechanism for a label applying machine according to claim 6, wherein means are provided for effecting vertical adjustment of the drive assembly with' respect to said housing.

8. A lpunch -mechanism for a label applying machine -according to claim 6, wherein said housing is of openfront construction and its front is closed by a front cover and said front cover has a vertical front-face recess and' an upwardly opening cut-out, and wherein said drivev assembly further includes a partial cover plate depending from said bearing housing and integral therewith, said partial cover plate and bearing housing fitting said recess andcut-out, respectively, and being secured to said front cover, thereby aflixing said drive assembly as a the -punch housing.

9. A punch unit for a label applying machine accord'- ing to claim 6, wherein said drive assembly mounts a rotating cam and said housing mounts a rock arm having a cam follower on one end thereof and in position' to be periodically engaged by said cam, and-'article wettingmeans carried bythe other end of said rock arm-y whereby said drive assembly also effects A:operation of said wetting means by imparting rocking motion to "said' unit to l 3,408,24is Y a punch mechanism for severing labels one-at-a-time frein.; a4 label sheet feeding thereto in'a direction crosswise of said -article path, means mounting said punchand mecha-.i nism onjthey top plate in position aslto,render itopeit--lV` ative through the aperturethereof, said articley advancing means including a pair laterally spaced, powerediend-:j less feed` beltsfand rollerumeansdisposed intermediate` said feed beltsV and driven therefrom,x.said husinggmoumfL ing a pair of rollers'operative through its bottoniaudpositioned to roll on said pair of feed belts, said punch mechanism including a vertically reciprocatable punch unit adapted to'movevdownwar'dly andupwardly throughv said aperture,l saidlpunch unit mounting lat leastone roller', operative through its bottom face and positionedI to roll4V on said roller means when the punch unit is in itslower-V most'position'of reciprocation. i ,Y 11. A labeling` machine .comprising a punch -mecha; nism for'V severing labels 4from a labeYSheet, vmeans for, moving the label .sheet beneath the punch mechanism, said 'punch mechanism including a housing having anVV open bottom, means for movingy articles beneath Said open bottom, a punch mounted for: reciprocal movement in said housing, and rneans carried by said punch housing for continuously applying a force against the punch in a direction generally transverse to ithe directionof, reciprocal movement thereof for .compensating for. variations inA t between thepunch housing and the punch due to variations in temperature. f 12. The labeling machine as defined in claim'll where in the compensating means are force-transmitting mem,- bers', and means are"proyide\d for continuously biasing the force-transmitting members toward said-punch.

13. The labelingm'achine as `defined in claim 11 wherein said'compensating means are force-transmitting members projecting into said punch rhousingthrougha wall.. thereof, and means are provided` for biasinglyurgingsaid force' -transn1ittingV members toward said punch. Y

14. The labeling machine Ias defined inclaim 11 where in said punchhousing carries a roller adjacent a bottom edge portion of said housing, and a peripheral surface of said'roller isy disposed beneath a bottommost edge of said punch housing and being adapted to restfupon any portion of a label sheet passing t'herebneath.

15. The labeling machine as defined in claim 11` wherein `said reciprocating means include a driveass'ernbly defined by -akcra'nkshaft having an inner end kvdisposed in;A said 'punch housing; said-crankshaft having 'at its inner" end'an eccentric and'a crank pin, acrank pivotally connected to said crank pin and said punch, and atimingf belt drivingly connected to said crankshaft for transmita" ting drive tofsaidcrankshaft :and thence 4to s'aid' punch."

16. AThe labeling machine'as definedV in claim-'ll'wherei in said compensating -means includes force-transmitting housing in #opposed relationship'to each other,'and'mea'ns for :continually 'biasingly urging means'toward 'each other'.

...in said compensating means'inclndes force-transn'sitting 10. In a. labell applying machine, a machine top plate" having an aperture therein, means-for advancing articles neath the top plate and extends to and past saidaperture,

means extending through angularlyf'related walls Vof the T punch v'housing whereby "said force-transmittingl means bearagainst 'angularly related surfaces ofsa-id punch. I A 1 ----.Refrences-citedff.

UNITED*STATESPArnrsI'rsfv i 18.88.744- 60.95? wash said force-transmittingul 

11. A LABELING MACHINE COMPRISING A PUNCH MECHANISM FOR SEVERING LABELS FROM A LABEL SHEET, MEANS FOR MOVING THE LABEL SHEET BENEATH THE PUNCH MECHANISM, SAID PUNCH MECHANISM INCLUDING A HOUSING HAVING AN OPEN BOTTOM, MEANS FOR MOVING ARTICLES BENEATH SAID OPEN BOTTOM, A PUNCH MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT IN SAID HOUSING, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID PUNCH HOUSING FOR CONTINOUSLY APPLYING A FORCE AGAINST THE PUNCH IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY TRANSVERSE TO THE DIRECTION OF RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT THEREOF FOR COMPENSATING FOR VARIATIONS IN FIT BETWEEN THE PUNCH HOUSING AND THE PUNCH DUE TO VARIATIONS IN TEMPERATURE. 